Region Business' 'Save Our Elk Grove Mall' PAC Received Over $96,000 From Wilton Rancheria in Late 2016

The unfinished Outlet Collection at Elk Grove. |  March 20, 2017 | A political action committee formed by Sacramento-based Region ...

The unfinished Outlet Collection at Elk Grove. | 

March 20, 2017 |

A political action committee formed by Sacramento-based Region Business received three large contributions from the Wilton Rancheria late last year.

In filings recorded with the Sacramento County Board of Elections, Region Business' Save Our Elk Grove Mall PAC received donations from the Wilton Rancheria totaling $96,000. The contributions, which were recorded on November 16, 21, and 22 were $35,000, $25,000 and $36,000 respectively.

The money was raised in an apparent effort to fight off a petition drive that ultimately succeeded in forcing the Elk Grove City Council to reverse a decision that released the Howard Hughes Company (HHC) from a development agreement. Even though the development agreement remains in force and is a point of contention by casino opponents, HHC recently sold a portion of their unfinished Outlet Collection at Elk Grove to the Wilton Rancheria, who with the financial backing of Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, hopes to build a $400 million casino resort pending resolution of complaints filed seeking to stop the project.

At about the time the Wilton Rancheria contributed to the Region Business Save Our Elk Grove Mall, the advocacy group partnered with former Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis and Elk Grove City Council Member Steve Detrick and recorded a series of robo calls urging residents not to sign the petition. Despite the robo calls and a mailer warning the petition effort could hurt prospects for completion of the unfinished shopping center, the petition organizers, card room operator Knighted Ventures, gathered an excess of required signatures.

The first recorded activity on the Sacramento County disclosures filings for the PAC was on June 30, 2015 when River City Business Services was hired for professional duties. Over the next 12 months River City performed about $1,490 in professional services for the PAC.

The filings also show the PAC received donations of $2,500 from Sacramento-based Schetter Electric, and on February 22, 2016, the PAC received its initial contribution of $100 from Region Builders PAC. Region Builders in a subsidiary of Region Business. 


   





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D.J. Blutarsky said...

I always assumed the tribe didn't have a pot to pee in, so how they were able to cough up $96,000 is what I want to know. Hope they didn't shuffle federal grant money around that was intended for more important things like education and health care. Then again, Boyd Gaming could have easily taken some petty cash from their Vegas craps tables to double-down on their investment.

Councilman Detrick grilled Stand Up California at a recent public meeting about their source of money, but oh we'll, we'll give the tribe a free pass here because we don't want to be called "those EGN crazies" or fake news!

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